Where is everybody? USC football opens season to empty LA Coliseum

While the Orange County Register reported that USC pounced on their opponents to secure the win, the game was defined by a notable absence of fans in the stands. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum appeared largely empty during the matchup, which featured a contest between USC and the San José State team led by Weaver. According to coverage from Yahoo Sports, Weaver's calm intensity inside the coliseum served as a primary narrative for the San José State side of the matchup against USC's Maiava. Reporting from multiple outlets has focused heavily on the poor turnout. The New York Times investigated the reasons behind the empty stadium, quoting a description of the seats as being like hot plates, suggesting that extreme heat may have deterred fans from attending the game.

USA Today highlighted that USC responded to the empty crowd following their Week 0 win and indicated that the university expects better attendance figures for future games. The disparity between the team's performance on the field and the lack of support in the stands has become a central point of discussion across these diverse media reports. The context of this event has led some analysts to question the stability of the program's leadership. Fox News raised the question of whether the poor opening game attendance is an early indicator that head coach Lincoln Riley is already on the hot seat. This suggests that the lack of fan engagement is being interpreted by some as a reflection of the coach's standing or the current appeal of the team.

Moving forward, attention will be on whether the attendance trends shift as the season progresses. USA Today specifically noted that expectations for better attendance remain high for subsequent matchups. Observers will likely monitor if the environmental factors mentioned by The New York Times were a one-time occurrence or if there are deeper systemic issues affecting fan turnout. Additionally, the pressure on Lincoln Riley may increase or diminish depending on the team's continued success on the field and the willingness of the Los Angeles community to return to the Coliseum for future games.